QT Questions

Hana, just realized I pretty much said the same thing as Marshall.

 

Thanks for all the input everyone.

Here is what I think I will do.

Keep my QT bare bottom with the biowheel and filter floss in the HOB filter. After dosing with copper, I will swap out the filter floss for the carbon filter pads designed for the HOB filter until the copper is gone.

Week 1: Observation
Week 2: Prazipro
Week 3: Prazipro
Week 4-8: Observation, copper if needed.

Three more questions for you guys.

After Prazipro treatment I will do a water change, should I run carbon as well to remove any of the medication?

Since I'm using the carbon filled filter pads, can I reuse them once they initially get wet if I pull it out of the filter in between uses? If I run the carbon pad for a few days to absorb the Prazipro and have to treat with copper, can I use that same filter pad one more time before trashing it?

Lastly, if something does appear, say on week 8. After medicating, how much longer is a good time to observe the fish before adding to the DT?

 

Answers below:

You are actually supposed to do water changes before dosing Prazipro, not necessarily after. You can do one after if you want, but it is not necessary. You don't need to run carbon, but again can if you want.

Yes, you can re-suse them. But again, you don't need to use them after dosing Prazipro. I would personally just wait to put them in until after dosing copper.

Basically QT period starts over. So really it should be an additional 6-8 weeks! In reality if you does copper correctly, then I would be comfortable waiting maybe 2-4 additional weeks.

Finally, in case you weren't planning on using one, I strongly recommend using a sponge filter for your QT/HT. I keep mine in my DT (using a small air pump) until needed for the QT/HT. Then move it over and you essentially instantly have a bio-filter. I then keep it running in the QT/HT until it is taken down. Throw out the sponge after treatment of copper.

 

What brand/model sponge filter do you use? or is it just any sponge with air tubing?

 

It really doesn't matter, but I think I have these Aquarium Internal Filters: ATI Hydro-Sponge Pro Filters at Foster and Smith Aquatics driven by Aquarium Air Pumps: JW Pet Fusion Air Pumps (the 400 model). If you go with that brand air pump, get the 400. The 300 model is 2-3 times louder!

 

do you run the air pump while its in dt?

if I have a biowheel on qt, can you use sponge from dt without air pump? or is air pump important?

 

I was wondering a similar thing. If using a bio wheel, is there any need for the sponge filter?

I figure I could always keep a back-up bio wheel in my refugium in case my QT's got nuked somehow. Like how Marshall recommended with the sponge filter.

 

Yes, you need to use the air pump at all times with the sponge to be effective. Just move the sponge and air pump over from the DT to the QT/HT when needed.

And yes, you still need something to "seed" the QT/HT even if you have bio-wheels. That is assuming you are not running the tank all the time and ghost feeding it to maintain the bacteria. Transferring the sponge as I said gives you the tank the bacteria needed to handle a low bioload off the bat. Just starting a tank up with biowheels that have not been running does nothing at all for you.

 

Even if you seed it with bio-spira or something?

 

Yup. Would be the same as if you placed a brand new sponge filter in the tank and dosed. You need the media to be running in your DT to have established bacteria colonies.